She is the winner of my Birthday Taste Necklace Giveaway!
This is what she won:

Isn't it awesome?

Let’s all give her a round of applause.

*pauses for applause*

And I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who
participated in the giveaway. If you didn’t win, fret not, I have more Taste
related giveaways to come.

Now, on to my story involving a spare key.

Here’s the scenario:

I’m one of those people who has to lock her bedroom every
time she leaves it because my brother has the tendency to come in and use my
laptop even when he has a perfectly good computer in his room. The reason for
this is because he visits certain websites that potentially sneak viruses into
the computer. It’s a stupid argument in that he doesn’t give a damn if my
computer gets a virus so long as his doesn’t. This coming from a computer
engineer who has the best anti-virus software. Like I said, stupid.

Anyway, that’s the reason why I lock my bedroom. This is
also the reason why I have to keep the spare key with my original key at all
times because if he gets a hold of the spare key…well…

Going back to the point of this post…

I’m in the middle of writing a new novel. When I’m in this creative
state, I think about the story most of the time, which causes me to be absent-minded.
One day, when I had to go out, I prepared my things as usual. It’s a routine of
mine to put my keys inside my bag before I leave. During this particular
instance, I thought I did. Imagine my horror when I got home and found my keys
to be missing.

Missing keys.

Locked room.

Spare key with original key in the same keychain.

Mortification.

So, more than a little ashamed of myself, I went back
downstairs and told my mother about what happened. Thankfully she didn’t get
mad. She merely burst into fits of uncontrollable laughter.

Laughter I will take.

Then she reminded me to separate my spare key and hide it
somewhere since she is aware of what my brother does.

Now, on to the predicament of getting my door open.

Since it was pretty late to call a locksmith (which movie is
this phrase famous for?) and no one in the house knew how to pick a lock
(mental note: a handy skill to learn), my mother and I hatched a plan to use
the ladder we had at the back of the house to climb up my balcony and use the
open sliding doors to enter my room. Naturally, being the younger of the two, I
volunteered to make the climb. My mother said, “I’ll do it. I’ve been climbing
trees all my life.” As if that’s a qualification to climb a ladder onto a
balcony at her age! But I didn’t argue and resolved to hold on to the ladder
instead. If she fell, the pool would catch her…hopefully.

*shakes head*

I will never forget that night.

I think I aged a decade watching my fifty-one-year-old mother ascend a ladder and climb over the
railing of my balcony.

Long story short, she managed to accomplish the feat, now
she will be joining a circus, and I have resolved to hide my spare key
somewhere in the house.

Okay, so I've been pretty busy writing, hence being MIA on my blog. I feel bad for not posting, and my blog was starting to resent me for it, so I have something special for all of you today. As the title of this post announces, this is a call for submissions.

Here's how this call started.

I received an email from Paula asking me if I would be interested in submitting a children's story for the anthology she is putting together. I really liked the idea, but unfortunately I'm not proficient in writing children's stories, so I offered to post this call instead.

Here's the info you need to know about the anthology:

The Rain Cloud's Gift written for Children's Charities by our group The Peacock Writers' is on it's way to the NYC BOOK FAIR at the JACOB JAVIT'S CONVENTION CENTER. No mass books or signing, just books displayed for industry professionals, stars, editors, publicists, publishers, and acquisition teams for the movie industry. Gwenna D'Young has an Angel who was so impressed with the book, and has given us the money and backing to have the book appear in the line up. We are also in the process of releasing a full, pictures included, limited edition.

Our next book in this series will celebrate the fall season and we are recruiting writers {1 each} from India, Japan, and Philippines - America has Halloween and Thanksgiving, Great Britain has Guy Fawkes - we would like stories that reflect fall traditions or holidays for these other cultures as well.

The stories would remain the sole property of the author and their use as a donation would only occur for the book collection for Children's Charities. The story is to be written on a level where a child could either read it or have it read to them - our age goal for readers is 0 through 12. Previously published stories are acceptable.

The Mad Hatter wasn’t always mad. Crazy certainly, but never mad. He used to be Charles Hamilton III, he once told Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee when they were inclined to listen, which wasn’t very often. He told them he was a certified public accountant working for one of the biggest companies out there, waving his hands to indicate a far off place as he spoke. He was at the top of his game, he mused when the twins left.

Even without an audience and only a teacup for company, the Mad Hatter kept talking. I remember the old days, he said to no one in particular since there was no one in particular there. He stopped and thought for a moment, then began again, this time speaking of Charles not as himself, but as someone else.

Right after topping the CPA exams, Charles was taken in by Madison and Madison – they aren’t related, it just so happened they had the same last name. He started at the bottom of Madison and Madison, slowly working his way to the top. The air was always fresher at the top, he mused one day as he entered his office. There was no one there. Charles loved coming in before everyone else. Today was no different. Oddly enough, he could hear the ticking of a clock. It didn’t really bother him at first, but when everyone started coming in, the ticking wouldn’t stop. I must be going crazy, he thought just for a moment before the daily meeting started.

Work was always his answer to everything. When he faced a problem, he worked. When a crisis needed solving, he worked. When he thought he was going crazy because he could hear a ticking clock in his head that no one else seemed to hear, he worked. Nothing beat working when you had to ignore a ticking clock, he thought. Again. To himself.

Charles hardly spoke to anyone at Madison and Madison outside of work. It was all business or no business at all. That was his motto. He was proud that he possessed a motto and once thought of having someone make it into a sign to hang in his office since the space had nothing else on its gray walls but cracks. Someone gave him a plant once, but Charles didn’t know what happened to it, he just continued working.

The Mad Hatter took a sip of his tea and continued his story.

The ticking clock never stopped.

As days came and went, the ticking got louder and louder, until he was beside himself, short of banging his head on the wall.

"Make it stop!" he screamed.

"Stop what?" a disembodied voice asked.

Charles searched his tidy, clean, bare apartment. "Who’s there?" he asked even if he had a sinking suspicion no one was.

"Who’s where?" the voice asked back.

"You."

He looked around, and to his surprise, he saw a white rabbit in a tuxedo jacket and a red bowtie holding a gold watch fob chained to the pocket of his jacket.

"Me?" The rabbit closed the watch.

"Yes, you!" Charles pointed, still unbelieving.

The rabbit looked around. "This place isn’t for you, but I will be late sooner than later," the rabbit said. "Would you like to come with me?" It hopped away.

Charles couldn’t believe he was having a conversation with a white rabbit in a tux jacket. "What do you mean come with you?"

"I don’t have time to explain because I am officially late, but if you want to follow, this is where you need to go." The rabbit hobbled into the full-length mirror in the dinning room and disappeared.

Charles rubbed his face hard. He was officially crazy.

"Yup," the Mad Hatter said. "He was crazy."

"Who are you talking to?" March Hare came up to him as he took out his watch and clicked it open.

It’s that time of the year again. That time when the shows
you’ve eagerly awaited week by week have been cancelled without so much as a
by-your-leave from the networks. The world of TV is just as cutthroat as
anywhere else. And I’m devastated by this recent turn of events. Shows like TheFinder, GCB, The Secret Circle, Terra Nova, Alcatraz, Ringer gone…all gone,
just like that. My heart sank when I found out.

You see, I’m a very easy girl to please. I don’t need a
complicated plot or overly deep characters to enjoy a show. Maybe that says
something about my standards or lack there of, but I know what I enjoy. I think
of the list of cancelled shows that I watch the one that surprised me the most
was The Finder. I had a feeling it might be in trouble based on the reviews I’ve
read saying the show had no clear direction, but this doesn’t make its passing
less heartbreaking for me. Love Walter and Leo and everyone else on that show.
Every week I wait to see what new adventures they find themselves in. What
Walter has to find next. Now, I only have thirteen episodes to keep me company
on those cold nights when I wonder what could have happened. The way they ended
it sent a chill down my spine and made me want to run to Walter and hug him. Oh
cruel, cruel world! Why? Why, I tell you! *insert clichéd scream up at the sky
while rain pours down my face* Bring Walter back!

The cancellation of GCB didn’t surprise me because of all the
controversy that surrounded the show. I think as the episodes progressed and
the storyline got tamer and tamer, the show lost its steam. If the writers
continued the shock factor of the first episode then maybe there would have been
hope at a full season. Now, I’m left with ten measly episodes with a finale
that ended so abruptly. At least give us a culminating episode!

The Secret Circle’s cancellation was a little iffy for me. I
guess the writers couldn’t cash in on the phenomenon of The Vampire Diaries.
Apparently, the same formula doesn’t work twice. The pilot had promise, but the
moment they killed off Nick and replaced him with his brother, I was thinking, “They
jumped the shark on that one.” And so early too. *shakes head in dismay*
Something happened to the writing along the way. The first few episodes where
so tight. I don’t know where exactly the show began to unravel at the seams,
but I would have wanted another season, just to see what happens with the four
witches seen at the end of the finale. Grrr!

Terra Nova was a shock! I thought it would at least have
another season. It was highly anticipated. But I guess it’s like that alien
show I don’t remember the title of now. You know, the one where the aliens come
to make nice with the humans but there’s a conspiracy too? The one where they
waited too long for the next episode to air? Anyway, like that one. Highly
anticipated and then cancelled like a flop on Broadway.

Same goes for Alcatraz. It
had potential, but from what I’ve been reading, it was more like the sad little
brother Lost didn’t want its friends to find out about. I thought it would last
for another season, at the least. Weird how the shows I don’t gravitate to end
up getting renewed while the ones I take a chance on get cancelled. Gosh! My
taste in TV must be that bad. Please
don’t judge me. *hides in teacup of shame*

The cancellation of Ringer I get. At the end of the day, it
became like white noise for me, playing in the background while I answered my
emails in the morning. Did The Lying Game get cancelled too? I’m not sure. Must
research that.

Pan Am, I knew was getting cancelled even before the show
ended at fifteen episodes. Or was it fourteen? Anyway, the ending was iffy as
well. Too many loose ends for my taste. Even the infusion of Ashley Green wasn’t
enough to boost ratings. Alas, I did enjoy that one too, and now it’s gone.

At the same time, I brace myself for the new shows to come.
I’m pretty sure this process of falling in love and being left in the cold will
happen again next year. I’m just excited by the fact that there are new stories
to be told. So, the question begs to be asked: I wonder what they are?

So, it's with a fond farewell that I bid the shows who have been cancelled this season good-bye. I have enjoyed your episodes. And you all will be missed. *grabs tissue and sniffs*

Sure, it was crazy. Absolutely insane. Janaya had told me so often enough—and if anyone knew insane, it was her. But I’d been listening to the sky gods soar by overhead for too long to give up the idea. The feeling of rightness and anticipation every time I heard them was a wild, heavy beat in my chest, as fast and hard as those strong, unseen wings beating at the air.

Whenever I heard them I looked up, but I was the only one. Nobody else did. Nobody else knew they were there, and they didn’t believe me so I’d stopped trying to convince them. There was never anything to see after all. But one time, just once long ago when Devon and I were out on the bluffs, we’d both caught a glimpse of something. Something large. Something ferocious. Something amazing.

The swoop of a horned tail, the whoosh of a massive, leathery wing…

Gone in the blink of an eye, but I never doubted that it had been there. Even now that Devon was gone too, I still believed. Whatever lived up there, they almost never penetrated the black soot and volcanic storms of the ceiling, and I didn’t blame them one bit. Hell, I didn’t want to live here and it was the only place I knew. The Great Eruptions destroyed what I’m told was actually a pretty decent place to live once. A place where you could breathe the air outside without masks, and feel the sunshine on your face.

Devon had wanted to find a way to see the sun so badly, so now I’m going to do it for him. I’m going to find the sky gods and get them to take me to see the sun and breathe real air. Everyone’s gotta have a goal, after all. When my teacher asked about mine, I think she was expecting something more along the lines of taking my father’s place as governor, but no matter how hard they try to make me, that’s not going to happen. Because I’m the only one who hears the wings beating and sees shadows through the clouds. I’m the only one who knows it’s not just the constantly rumbling thunder.

Chloe Jacobs is a native of nowhere and everywhere, having jumped around to practically every Province of Canada before finally settling in Ontario where she has now been living for a respectable number of years. Her husband and son are the two best people in the entire world, but they also make her wish she'd at least gotten a female cat. No such luck. And although the day job keeps her busy, she carves out as much time as possible to write. Bringing new characters to life and finding out what makes them tick and how badly she can make them suffer is one of her greatest pleasures, almost better than chocolate and fuzzy pink bunny slippers.

While trying to save her brother four years ago, Greta was thrown into the witch’s fire herself, falling through a portal to a dangerous world where humans are the enemy, and every ogre, goblin, and ghoul has a dark side that comes out with the full moon.

To survive, seventeen-year-old Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young Goblin King, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her determination to escape.

But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. The full moon is mere days away, and an ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back…

It’s been a little over a week since Taste was released into
the world and this is the first chance I’ve gotten to really sit still and take
in the monumental event. There are many big events in a writer’s life: the
spark of inspiration, the moment the book finds a home, and the day the book is
released, among others. The third is probably the most nerve-wracking part of
the whole process because it’s the time when the writer has no control over the
novel anymore, it’s up to the world to pick up the finish product and read. And
all the writer can do is live on good faith and move on to the next project.

When I first decided to pursue a career as a writer, I did
the scariest thing: quit my day job and take a chance. First of all, I do not condone
quitting your day job unless you have someone willing to support you while you
make your way. I’ve been lucky that my parents continue to support me during
this wild ride. Like the artists from the Renaissance, I was sponsored and kept
from starving on the streets. Okay, I’ll stop here because I don’t want to
start blubbering while I’m typing this post.

Taste is the first of my babies to enter the world. First
out of the gate, and I couldn’t be prouder to share her story with everyone. As
a writer, the most I can ask is for the story to be read, beyond that isn’t my
place anymore. Like it or leave it, I have no control over that. But, like any
parent, I wake up praying my baby does well.

And speaking of waking up, I think I’m still dreaming. To
actually see Taste on Amazon and Barnes & Noble is such a surreal
experience. My book is one of the many that people can purchase now. How
awesome is that?

From the get go, I always believed my work would get
published. Of course, there were days when my belief faltered and I needed
those around me to help pick myself up. And it wasn’t an easy road by any
measure. But I knew deep down that Taste would see the light of day.

With one of my babies already out there, I turn my focus to those
who are in the process of preparing themselves for the world. I’m gearing up to
edit ‘Til Death, my YA urban fantasy with Entangled and Reaping Me Softly,
another paranormal romance, with Omnific. I’m itching to get started. I’ve
realized through this journey that I’ve come to love the editing process. Watch
out for a post on that one.

In a couple of days I turn another year older, and as I look
back at a year full of wonderful events in my life, I smile and say thanks. To
believe is to really let the universe help you achieve. Okay, I’ll be the first
to admit the line sounds cheesy, but after everything that’s happened to me, I
wouldn’t discount it as truth.

So, since it’s my birthday this Friday, I’m planning a
special giveaway for all the readers out there who give their time to the books
authors write. It’s my own little way of saying thank you to all of you who
make writing such a worthwhile experience. Stay tuned. I’ll be right back.

And while you're waiting, grab your copy of Taste now. If you already have, tell your friends about Taste so they can grab theirs and join in on all the fun happening at Barinkoff Academy.

Isn't it the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen? I've been staring at it since Dannielle from Book Whales Review sent me the link to Ice's fantastic review of Taste. At the end of the review is this picture of Luka, Phoenix, and Demitri. I LOVE anime and seeing them in anime form just made my month! It's the best birthday gift ever.

Thank you Ice and Dannielle for your continued support. You ladies rock!

My friend, singer/song
writer Noelle Pico, is spearheading a campaign to bring Taste to the Philippines.
Something as simple as a tweet helps a long way in getting the word out. If you
want to be part of the tweet brigade, here is the tweet: